Tory defections to UKIP driven by issues such as immigration and welfare rather than Europe, says new Lord Ashcroft polling

"More than one in ten Conservative voters at the last election now backs [UKIP], but many will return to the fold if the Government delivers on immigration, welfare and the deficit, a poll suggests today. Just a quarter of those considering voting UKIP name relations with Europe as one of the top three issues facing Britain, according to the survey commissioned by former Tory vice chairman Lord Ashcroft. He warned that the promise of an EU referendum will not be enough to reverse an increase in support for UKIP." – Daily Mail

"The Tories have lost one sixth of their support in the past two months and UKIP has risen to a record high as voters take a harder line against the European Union, according to a poll for The Times." – Times (£)

"David Cameron broke new ground on Europe… suggesting British withdrawal from the EU is "imaginable"… The prime minister stressed that he supported membership of a reformed EU, though he said Britain was "in charge of our own destiny"." – Guardian

"Bit by bit, David Cameron is being forced to shift his position on Britain’s relations with the European Union." – Daily Express editorial

Nowhere is the UK’s imagined irrelevance less true than in the European Union – Janan Ganesh for the FT (£)

…Yet signs up to "systematic" long-term European defence co-operation

"David Cameron was accused yesterday of signing Britain up to a blueprint for a Euro Army. European leaders agreed plans for greater defence co-operation at a summit in Brussels that will force Britain to consult fellow EU nations over defence planning, with defence chiefs having to co-ordinate capabilities and procurement." – Daily Mail

"Britain’s armed forces are to rely increasingly on allies — most notably France — as they are remodelled for straitened times, the the Chief of the defence staff said last night. … General Sir David Richards said that a new Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) would form the teeth of Britain’s armed forces" – Times (£)

"A senior cabinet minister last night accused European human rights judges of ‘overstepping the mark’ – in a significant ratcheting up of hostilities with the Strasbourg court. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling’s remarks are the strongest condemnation to date of the controversial court from a Tory minister. He accuses the judges of prying ‘more and more’ into areas that should be decided in domestic courts or by MPs in Parliament." – Daily Mail

The European Court has drifted too far from its principles – and we want to put that right – Chris Grayling for the Daily Telegraph

David Davis: We don't need secret courts to protect our US relations

"The government's own independent adviser on security matters has told the joint committee on human rights that one reason for the government's pursuit of secret courts is to protect their position on the use of drones to assassinate alleged terrorists. The policy is controversial, not least because a number of those killed appear to be innocent bystanders. Are we going to deny them justice simply because of our craven relationship with the US?" – David Davis for the Guardian

Wind farms should not be less than 1.4 miles from people's homes, Nick Boles suggests

"Nick Boles said in the House of Commons that wind turbines should not have an “unacceptable impact” in local communities… There is currently no national standard for the distance between turbines and houses. But Mr Boles told MPs that he thought a minimum distance “might be appropriate” in some areas." –Daily Telegraph

Lord (Michael) Howard: Keep the bureaucrats’ hands off our hospices

"Hospices began as a response by local people to a lack of dignity and compassion for dying people. As the NHS reforms take effect, we must make sure that the ethos of hospice care is nurtured and extended, and we must not allow hospice care, as a humanitarian response to a deeply human issue, to be eroded by inappropriate regulation and red tape." – Lord Howard for the Times (£)

"When the Queen attends a Cabinet meeting today, it should listen to her advice" – Daily Telegraph editorial

Nick Clegg to rock Coalition boat in high-risk bid for votes

"A former top adviser to the Deputy PM revealed the Lib Dems will stress their differences with the Tories in a high-risk bid to win back voters. Richard Reeves warned that if Mr Clegg failed to boost support for his party, the Coalition would likely collapse before 2015." – The Sun

The fight for the centre ground between Nick Clegg and David Cameron makes the Coalition fragile – Steve Richards for the Independent

Obama already embodies a narrative, but Cameron, Miliband and Clegg must find one to explain their actions – Rachel Sylvester for the Times (£)

"Nick Clegg boasted he vetoed more than £6billion of ‘draconian’ Tory welfare cuts yesterday – but insisted pensioner benefits should not go to the better off. The Deputy Prime Minister directly contradicted David Cameron’s stance on maintaining free bus passes and free TV licences for the over 75s and the annual winter fuel payment. ‘Money should not be paid to those who do not need it,’ he said." – Daily Mail | Scotsman

Ed Davey pledges to fight rising energy bills

"Mr Davey said: “Energy companies have been suggesting that ECO will increase bills. I believe there is no good basis for this claim. We estimate the overall cost of ECO at an average of £1.3bn per year – that’s the same as the current supplier obligations. So ECO should impose no new costs.”" – Independent

Tim Yeo will lead calls for decarbonisation target to be included in bill, in order to reassure investors and hit emissions targets – Guardian

Ed Miliband asks for party leaders' meeting to thrash out Leveson deal

"Ed Miliband is seeking a meeting with David Cameron and Nick Clegg this week to thrash out an agreement on how to implement the Leveson report on future press standards amid Labour fears that ministers are manoeuvring to delay a decision until the public interest ebbs away in the new year." – Guardian

Labour shows the strain over gay marriage

"Labour tensions over gay marriage have surfaced as MPs attacked the Government’s plans for same-sex weddings and shadow ministers clashed over their tactics on the issue. Ed Miliband has decided to allow his MPs a free vote on the plans when they are introduced in the Commons next month, but all members of the shadow Cabinet are to support the reform. … [some s]enior Labour MPs, including frontbench spokesmen, are expected to vote against the proposals out of religious conviction." – Independent

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